The Skeptics Annotated Bible (184 page)

16
Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD
thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:

(16.16) “
Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD.”
(The females he never wants to see.)

17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.

(16.18-19) Judges and officers should strive to be impartial and should never take a bribe.

18
Judges and officers
shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they
shall judge the people with just judgment.

(16.18)
“Judges and officers … shall judge the people with just judgment.”

19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment;
thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise
, and pervert the words of the righteous.

(16.19)
“Thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise.”

20 That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

21 Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.

22 Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.

17
Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evilfavouredness: for that is an abomination unto the LORD
thy God.

(17.1)
“Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evilfavouredness: for that is an abomination unto the LORD.”
Don’t sacrifice an animal with a blemish. It is an abomination to God. (He’s very picky about his bloody animal sacrifices!)

(17.2-7) Kill everyone who has religious beliefs that are different from your own.

2
If there be found among you
, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee,
man or woman, that
hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, in transgressing his covenant,

3 And
hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them
, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;

(17.2-3)
“If there be found among you … man or woman, that … hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them,”

4
And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true
, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel:

(17.4)
“And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true,”

5
Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman
, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman,
and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.

(17.5)
“Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman … and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.”

6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.

7
The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people.
So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.

(17.7)
“The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people.”

8 If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose;

9 And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment:

10 And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall shew thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee:

11 According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left.

(17.12-13) Whoever refuses to listen to a priest or judge must be killed.

12 And
the man that
will do presumptuously, and
will not hearken unto the priest
that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God,
or unto the judge, even that man shall die
: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.

(17.12)
“The man that … will not hearken unto the priest … or unto the judge, even that man shall die.”

13
And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously
.

(17.13)
“And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.”